Foldable and adjustable vent



April 30, 1968 R. G. MACK FOLDABLE AND ADJUSTABLE VENT Filed Dec. 8,1966 INVENTOR. RICHARD G. MACK ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,380,370FOLDABLE AND ADJUSTABLE VENT Richard G. Mack, 15th and Carmella, Carmel,Calif. 93921 Filed Dec. 8, 1966, Ser. No. 600,200 3 Claims. (Cl. 98-37)This invention is directed to a ventilating means for tents and otherflexible, canvas or fabric structures, which may be applied either tothe roof or to the walls thereof with such means being foldable with themain structure without additional bulk, Weight or sharp edges.

A practical solution to the proper ventilating of tents and other fabricstructures has been the subject for campers of all ages and in allplaces, including expeditions and military uses. In hot climates eventhough a breeze is stirring outside, ventilation has been a seriousproblem and even the opening of side panels and front flaps has failedto dispel the accumulation of warm, stagnant air at the peak and underthe roof in the interior of the tent. In cold, blustery climates it isnot practical to open up the tent to secure ventilation if warmth andprotection are desired, with the result that condensation collectsadjacent the peak, which freezes during the night and melts during thedaylight hours to drip on everything within the interior of the tent.

Various ventilating devices have been tried and each has failed up tonow mainly for the reason that they involve metal inserts or metal capsor other pieces which have to be inserted through the canvas and whichleak in rainy weather and cannot be folded with the tent when taken downand so constitute additional weight and extra baggage on the move or instorage.

The present invention has for a very fundamental object the ventilationof a tent by means which does not add materially to the weight, whichinvolves no metal sharp surfaces and which is always available in thedegree that the occupant requires for personal comfort.

Another important object is the provision of a ventilating means whichkeeps out the weather and may be adjusted to suit any condition whichmay be encountered.

Further objects are to provide a construction of maximum simplicity,economy, and ease of manufacture, also such further objects, advantagesand capabilities as will fully appear and as are inherently possessed bythe device and the invention described herein.

Invention further resides in the combination, construction andarrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and whilethere is shown therein a preferred embodiment thereof, it is to beunderstood that the same is merely illustrative of the invention andthat the invention is capable of modification and change, andcomprehends other details of construction without departing from thespirit thereof or the scope of the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the ventilating device as installed onan A-shaped or peaked type tent;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical section taken on the line I-III of FIGURE 1looking in the direction of the arrows; and

FIGURE 3 is a vertical section similar to FIGURE 2 but with theinflatable member deflated.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings in which like referencenumerals are used to identify like parts in the several figures, FIGURE1 in an exaggerated scale shows the installation of the ventilationmeans installed for use in an A-type tent 10. In the sloping roof orsurface 11 there is a rectangular cut-out portion shown as 12. The shapeof the cut-out portion 12 is not required to be rectangular but may beof any desirable shape. On the inside of the cut-out portion 12 there isa yieldable 3,380,370 Patented Apr. 30, 1968 or resilient netting 14.This netting may have a mesh of any suitable size and may even utilizethe larger size of the insect-killing mesh, which is somewhat largerthan the usual mesh for such purposes. On the outside of the tentsurface 11 is a flap 15 which covers the opening 12 and which has atransverse tab 16 at the top. The tab 16 is secured by sewing or anyother suitable means to the outer surface of the tent member 11 to makea waterproof contact. The lower portion of the flap 15 at each of thebottom corners 17 and 18 is secured to the canvas wall 11 so that whenpressure is exerted from the under side of the flap 15 a raised bow 20will occur along the bottom edge as well as along the sides 21 and 22.Between the mesh 14 and the flap 15 is an inflatable plastic member 23shown here in the form of a balloon having a selfsealing valve 24projecting through the netting 14 on the interior of the tentpreferably. The inflatable member 23 may be any shape desired but ishere shown as a spherical balloon because this produces the maximumadjustment.

It will be observed that upon inflation of the inflatable member 23, itpresses against the inner surface of the outer flap 15 and the mesh 14to make an opening at the sides between the edges 21 and 22 and the tentsurface 11. It is likewise apparent that by regulating the amount ofinflation or deflation, the size of these openings may be variedaccordingly. The same type of opening, only smaller, may occur along thelower edge 20.

As has been indicated earlier, the manner of fastening the transversetab 16 to the tent surface 11 provides for keeping out the weather alongthe top edge. In order to prevent the weather from getting in throughthe vent at either side 21 or 22 or at the bottom 20, a slide fastener(not shown) may be installed along these edges and adjusted as thesituation may require. Also a raised lip, or semi-flexible material, rimor bead can be installed around the edge of the netting and sewn orfastened into the seam where the perforated material meets the mainshelter material, to prevent run-off from entering the opening orseeping through the fastening.

The inflatable member 23 is preferably not rubber but a plastic so as toavoid inadvertent bursting. The valve 24 projects through an opening inthe netting 14 to the interior of the tent so that inflation ordeflation may be maintained and adjusted as the situation Warrantswithout going on the outside. It is apparent that with the inflation ofthe inflatable member 23 of the structure to any extent the pressure onthe netting 14 will close or seal the opening through which the valve 24projects.

It will be observed that only soft resilient material is used and thatwhen the inflatable member 23 is deflated for packaging or non-use, thesame is retained between the flap 15 and the netting 14. In the event itis necessary to replace any inflatable member 23, it is easily slippedout of and into position between the flap and the netting in deflatedcondition.

It has been observed in the use of the present device that the aircoming in around the surface of the inflatable member 23 and the flap 15behaves in a manner similar to a venturi and produces the unexpectedresult of forcibly flushing stale or dead air from the interior.

It is apparent that this ventilation device can be used on any fabricsurface or any other surface when the inflatable member 23 is confinedin an opening between two resilient holding means. Likewise the shape ofthe opening 12, the shape of the fiat 15, the shape of the interiormeans 14 and the shape of the inflatable member 23, may each be variedto suit the particular situation. In addition, if maximum ventilation isnot required then the netting 14 may be replaced with a substantiallycontinuous yieldable or resilient material.

I claim:

1. A vent for transportable structures, an aperture in the wall of thestructure, a flexible and yieldable flap secured above said aperture andadapted to completely overlay the same, means for securing the flap atspaced intervals about said aperture, a porous stretchable member freelytransmitting air therethrough secured below said aperture, means forsecuring said porous member around the perimeter of said aperture, andan inflatable member having a scalable valve loosely and removablyretained in said aperture between said flat and said porous member, sothat by regulating the amount of inflation or deflation the spacingbetween the flap and porous member may be varied.

2. The vent of claim 1 wherein the covering flap and the foldablestructure are fabric and the flap is secured over the aperturepermanently along the top portion and with slide fasteners at spacedintervals along the otherwise open portions for individual opening.

3. The vent of claims 1 and 2 wherein the porous member is a nettingsecured to the wall on the inside thereof permitting the valve of theinflatable member to project therethrough to the inside.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,598,207 5/1952 Bailey et al.2516l.1 2,839,986 6/1958 Herman 9837 2,939,375 6/1960 Herman 98-373,013,483 12/1961 Knight 98--37 3,024,717 3/1962 Rozek 98-37 3,082,6763/1963 Church et al 9840 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,125,243 3/ 1962 Germany.

ROBERT A. OLEARY, Primary Examiner. M. A. ANTONAKAS, Assistant Examiner.

1. A VENT FOR TRANSPORTABLE STRUCTURES, AN APERTURE IN THE WALL OF THESTRUCTURE, A FLEXIBLE AND YIELDABLE FLAP SECURED ABOVE SAID APERTURE ANDADAPTED TO COMPLETELY OVERLAY THE SAME, MEANS FOR SECURING THE FLAP ATSPACED INTERVALS ABOUT SAID APERTURE, A POROUS STRETCHABLE MEMBER FREELYTRANSMITTING AIR THERETHROUGH SECURED BELOW SAID APERTURE, MEANS FORSECURING SAID POROUS MEMBER AROUND THE PERIMETER OF SAID APERTURE, ANDAN INFLATABLE